Know Your Opponent: Florida State

The Gators end their regular season in traditional fashion, by playing the Seminoles of Florida State University. The West Florida Seminary, the oldest predecessor of the modern Florida State University, opened for classes in 1857 in Tallahassee. The West Florida Seminary was reorganized into Florida State College in 1901. The Buckman Act of 1905 consolidated all public schools of higher education in the state of Florida, requiring three gender and racially segregated institutions – one for black men and women (the State Normal School for Colored Students, which later became Florida A&M University) located in Tallahassee, one for white men (the University of Florida) in Gainesville, and one for white women, also in Tallahassee. The latter institution became the Florida State College for Women. After the Second World War, the school became coeducational again and changed its name to Florida State University. Florida State now enrolls nearly 42,000 students (including almost 32,000 undergrads). FSU’s school colors are garnet (a dark shade of red) and gold.

Florida's last game in Tallahassee was a 37-26 victory. The
Gators forced five turnovers and had a dominant fourth
quarter, outscoring the Seminoles 24-6. A game won through 
a grinding rushing attack and strong defense, it may be 
remembered as the height of Will Muschamp's football 
philosophy at Florida. Mike Ehrmann

Despite being younger than many other successful and tradition-rich football programs (Florida State has only played football since 1947), the Seminoles have enjoyed tremendous success in their history. An independent for most of their history, FSU finally joined the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 1992. Florida State has won 14 ACC titles, more than any other school besides charter member-Clemson (which also has 14). Needless to say, Florida State has dominated their conference in the last two decades. The Seminoles play in Doak Campbell Stadium for home games; the Doak has a capacity in excess of 82,000 spectators, with 84,392 being the official record-high attendance.

Florida State has won three consensus national championships (1993, 1999, and 2013) and has produced three Heisman Trophy winners (Charlie Ward in 1993, Chris Weinke in 2000, and Jameis Winston in 2013). The 1999 squad completed a perfect, 12-0 season and soundly the defeated Michael Vick-led Virginia Tech Hokies in the Sugar Bowl to secure the second-ever BCS championship. The 2013 Seminoles also won every game on their schedule, winning 14 games and the final championship before the playoff-era.

Although not as old as Florida’s border rivalry with Georgia, the in-state Florida State rivalry is just as intense. In this rivalry, there are no conference implications, but often repercussions on the national championship instead. The Gators and Seminoles have played 58 times and every year since their first meeting in 1958. The Gators have only played Georgia, Auburn, Kentucky, and LSU more frequently, while the Seminoles have only played Miami more frequently. Florida leads the series with 34 victories; Florida State has won 22 games over the Gators (twice have the teams tied). Florida State has been defeated by Florida more frequently than any other opponent. After losing in the regular season to the Seminoles, the 1996 Florida Gators defeated FSU in a rematch in the Sugar Bowl, securing their first national title. Later that year, in a game remembered by some as "The Greatest Game Ever Played at the Swamp", the Gators defeated the #1-ranked Seminoles 32-29 at home after a late-game touchdown drive ruined Florida State’s hopes for the 1997 title.